


Mirror

by flyingwargle



Category: Magic Kaito, 名探偵コナン | Detective Conan | Case Closed
Genre: Both of them need a hug, Complete, Gen, Introspection, Oneshot, an attempt to explore the heavier burdens associated with their quests, brief Agasa Hiroshi appearance, it's basically the two of them having a discussion, mentions of Konnosuke Jii, mentions of the jet-black mystery train arc, that's what makes them fun to write, they're both so similar to each other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-28
Updated: 2020-12-28
Packaged: 2021-03-11 04:47:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,771
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28389507
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/flyingwargle/pseuds/flyingwargle
Summary: In which a phantom thief and detective talk about the impossibility of their quests.
Relationships: Kudou Shinichi | Edogawa Conan & Kuroba Kaito | Kaitou Kid
Kudos: 42





	Mirror

**Author's Note:**

> the second half takes place after the jet-black mystery train arc. knowledge of what transpired is recommended!

It was another successful heist, another night of evading the police and their supposed elaborate traps, another crowd that cheered his name as he flew overhead on his hang glider, another victory against a tiny detective. He would normally feel elated, poker face masking his nerves and pessimism, negativity vanishing when he witnessed the audience, smiled for the camera, answered the moonlight’s call. However, tonight was not one of those nights.

Kuroba Kaito withdrew his hang glider and landed nimbly on top of a jungle gym. The park was deserted, which was expected since it was past midnight, and the tall trees shielded him from drunken salarymen who walked by along the streets. He pulled the jewel out from his pocket and held it up. Tonight’s target had been the Frostine Prism, mined from the depths of Antarctica by none other than Suzuki Jirokichi and his infinite resources provided by the Suzuki Financial Group, a diamond capable of withstanding the coldest temperatures. The geezer hadn’t wasted any time to issue his challenge, so Kaito had to pull an all-nighter to work something out. Although he should’ve been fortunate that nothing went amiss, the smug satisfaction of success had yet to hit him.

_Another dud._ He’d gotten so accustomed to checking his spoils against the moon that if one of them happened to be Pandora, he’d probably miss it. Just to be certain, he checked it again, unable to find the elusive gem, and tucked it away for when he could send it back through the mail. This one required more delicacy – Jii-chan could do it for him. For now, he should go home. It was a long way off, especially if he had to make it there on foot.

He jumped down and leaned against the railing with a sigh. Back to that house with secrets that lurked in the shadows, back to life where his closest friend didn’t even know that he was the one behind the monocle and top hat. When he decided to succeed his father to avenge his death, he hadn’t realized how divisive it would be – to don one identity during the day, and another at night. It felt noble, at first, like a feverish race against an underground organization to smash their treasure in front of their faces, but after several months, he began to feel its impossibility.

Kaito knew that retirement was not an option, yet there was still a glimmer of hope that he could hang up his cape for an ordinary life, one where he hadn’t known his father was an international jewel thief, his mother had an equally notorious reputation, and the biggest concern in his life was how to embarrass Aoko the next time he saw him.

The bushes rustled behind him. A breeze jostled the swings, caused the trees to sway. Kaito heard the subtle _click_ of a watch lid snap upright followed by footsteps. He considered reaching for his card gun, or raising his hands, but decided to keep them in his pockets. “If you’re here to take the jewel back, I’d appreciate it. You’d be doing me a favor.”

“I expected you to go back to your hideout.” The small detective’s tone was low, carrying hints of adolescence and wisdom. “You didn’t notice the tracking device I put on your cape, so I followed you here.”

“If I were paranoid about tracking devices, I’d never plan another heist.” Kaito shrugged. “Shouldn’t a kid like you be in bed by now?”

“Don’t worry. I live close by, unlike you.”

He quashed his surprise down to the slightest twitch of his upper lip. “We can end this peacefully, detective. I’ll give you back the jewel and you’ll let me go.” Back to planning more heists, more tricks and illusions, more performances, more chances of getting caught and arrested, more opportunities of finding a jewel that he didn’t know existed.

“You were subdued tonight.”

“Huh?”

“Your notice was ridiculously easy to decipher, so much so that Inspector Nakamori let his guard down – _I_ let my guard down. You normally don’t harm anyone but your trick made two guards land in the hospital. When you spoke, your tone was…” he paused to comb through his vocabulary, “not how you usually speak.”

“I knew you paid attention, but not that close attention.”

“Inspector Nakamori noticed. Everyone else did, too, and thought you were having a bad day. I can tell that it’s something more.”

Kaito hid his smile. “If you think being nice to me would make me surrender, it’s not going to happen.” He looked back up at the moon, its illuminance causing his shadow to stretch across the ground. “It’s true that I wasn’t at my best tonight. Even a master thief like myself gets tired and wants a break sometimes.”

There were times when he wondered how his father had done it – how was he able to balance his heists with his stage performances, his family? Sure, he wasn’t chained by school and his wife knew his secret, whereas Kaito was still a second-year and Jii-chan was his sole confidante. His father had the freedom to travel through his reputation, the expertise needed to target the big jewels likely to hide Pandora, the time to plan and execute his heists. Kaito? He’d be lucky to get off scot-free after an extended absence due to injury, exhaustion, or both.

“You can always stop.”

“I can, but I can’t. This might come as a surprise, detective, but I don’t steal jewels for the sake of thievery. Like everything we do, there’s a purpose for it, and it isn’t just for entertainment and showing off.” Kaito felt his poker face begin to crack, as his tone slipped from the reserved formality that was part of Kaito Kid’s persona. Darkness began to encroach, similar to how the clouds threatened to cover the moon. “Say, detective, what motivates you to continue this line of work?”

He sensed the slightest waver, a flash of surprise. “A detective’s job is to uncover the truth, no matter how painful or improbable it can be.”

“Why do _you_ continue to do it? You’re just a kid. There’re more important things to think about instead of how someone unrelated to your life died.”

Silence. The shadows shifted and Kaito watched the detective lower his arm. “I’ll throw the question back at you – why do _you_ steal jewels, if not to get something that you don’t have? What motivates _you_? There was an eight year hiatus from the first Kaito Kid to you, so it’s logical to assume that you’re the successor. Why revive his name?”

Kaito bowed his head. “I steal to chase a ghost. I’m motivated by failure and discouraged by impossibility. My predecessor left me with a mission and I have to fulfill it at all costs.”

“Or else…?”

“Or else I’d fail in the name of Kaito Kid.” He’d fail in the name of Kuroba Toichi, the greatest magician ever to live, his father, his hero. He frowned to himself – was this talk meant to make him feel better or was it an analysis of his weaknesses? He stole a glance at the detective, noticed that he’d turned away with his hands in his pockets. The darkness masked his expression. “You okay over there, detective?”

“It looks like we both chase the impossible.”

“Tell me about it. There are a million jewels in the world, just as there are a million reasons why someone would kill another person. No matter how many jewels are stolen or dead bodies are discovered, we’d still turn in their direction, thinking if this is finally the last one.”

“Murder is different from theft. Don’t try to think of them as the same.”

“What I want to say, detective, is that there’s no end to what we do. If you were on an impossible hunt, you’d tire of its infinity and mix personal emotions into your craft.” Kaito straightened up. His eyes were cleared, darkness dispelled, at least for now. Never had he wondered what would happen if he encountered Pandora, and despite his bravado that he’d smash it to pieces, there was a higher chance that he’d be on the receiving end of a gun instead.

However, he could deal with that as it came. By then, he would be prepared.

The detective did not respond. Kaito glanced at the clouds drifting over the moon. “In any case, I don’t plan on getting arrested until I’ve fulfilled my goal. I’ll leave the jewel in return for a clean escape. I’ll destroy the tracking device, naturally, and you’ll get another chance to arrest me, if you can. How does that sound?”

It took him a moment to register the thief’s words. When he spoke, Kaito could hear the depths of exhaustion, a familiar darkness that haunted his shadow. “I’ll accept, just this once. Don’t think you can get another favor out of me.”

“I don’t plan on making this a regular occurrence.” Kaito took the jewel out and tucked it beneath his top hat. With his other hand, he draped his blackout cloak over him and melted into the darkness. When he reached the park’s exit, he glanced over his shoulder to watch the detective peer beneath the top hat, exasperated expression wiping away his earlier vulnerability. Putting the jewel back inside the hat, he hurried off.

Kaito stepped into an alleyway to change back into his civilian outfit, hat pulled low, gloved hands stuffed into his pockets. No matter how he felt about Pandora or the organization that killed his father, he couldn’t expose those feelings to his heists. Not when he treated them as performances.

It was an impossible quest, but he couldn’t surrender his cape, not when he remembered the fans, the endless speculation from analysts and investigators, the grin that overcame him when he outsmarted the police and that detective. If there was anything that would please his father, it would be how he lived up to the reputation that preceded him.

So long he wasn’t caught first. Kaito smirked to himself. If that was the life of a phantom thief, so be it. He destroyed the tracker in his fist and dropped it into the trash can.

* * *

Edogawa Conan shuffled through the laboratory with his hands in his pockets, head low as he walked through the darkened space by memory. Light shone from the basement, where Haibara was likely to be immersed in her research, the professor’s bedroom cloaked with slumber. Conan switched the foyer light on to find his shoes and slip them on, reaching to undo the door locks.

He paused when a door creaked open behind him. A pair of slippers slid across the floor, followed by a question in a yawn. “Where are you going, Shinichi? It’s almost midnight.” Agasa was in his pajamas, eyes narrowed drowsily. He hid another yawn behind his hand.

“Just for a walk. I won’t be too long.” Conan cut off his protest by closing the door behind him. A quarter moon shone down from a blanket of stars, the streets illuminated by lights. He kept to the shadows – his small stature would invite trouble from concerned adults and other passersby, since it was past his supposed bedtime and they’d perceive him as lost than familiar with the area as he’d lived there for doubled his appeared age.

As far as Ran and Uncle Kogoro were concerned, he was with the other Detective Boys for a sleepover, whereas in actuality, he stayed at Agasa’s to help Haibara with her research. It didn’t last long since they hit a wall, however, and she chose to delve into the science further without his help. It was too late to go back to the agency, so he stayed in the guest bedroom, spread across the mattress, eyes on the ceiling, haunted by his thoughts. The whispers of the past crowded him to the point of suffocation, so in retaliation, he walked away.

The streets brought him to the park where he and Kaito Kid conversed, several weeks earlier. It was protected by tall trees, surrounded by dirt paths and tall grass, a pocket of nature in a metropolitan district. Conan swept his gaze over the playground and jungle gym, paused whenever a car roared or rambunctious salarymen staggered by, and settled on a bench. He watched a worker empty trash bins further in the distance.

His eyes drifted to the jungle gym, wondering how the phantom thief fared, especially after the explosive encounter Conan forced him into while onboard the Bell Tree Express. Kid hadn’t sent any advanced notices ever since, but Conan knew that he was alive, evidenced by the annoyed phone call afterwards and anonymous package sent to the agency with his phone intact.

Conan smothered a small smirk with his hand. He hadn’t wanted to involve him, didn’t need another outsider roped in the fight against the Black Organization. His death would’ve been Conan’s fault if there was a misstep (not that he’d expect Kid to miscalculate) and if Vermouth or Bourbon realized that the young lady locked in the luggage carriage was actually an imposter, they may assume Kid was associated with him. The thief already had his own demons; he didn’t need Conan’s, either.

_If you were on an impossible hunt, you’d tire of its infinity and mix personal emotions into your craft_. He had caught a glimpse of the shadows weaved within the impeccable white suit Kid donned, heard the resignation in his words, as well as the tired determination to persevere. The reason why he let Kid escape was because of that shared familiarity – they were not just a detective and phantom thief, haunted by the past, anxious in the present, eager for their desired futures. Neither of them knew how long their fight would last or how long they could keep it up, so their only option was to continue living, hoping that the next hint would be their last.

He didn’t know what Kid’s goal was, and if it were similar to his, that would be the ultimate irony.

“What’re you doing out here at this hour, kid? Are you lost?” Conan snapped out of his reverie at the gruff inquiry. The park worker was at the garbage bin beside the bench, face mask looped around his ears, rubber gloves over his hands.

“No, I just needed to think.” He used his childish chirp, straightening up to watch the worker tie up the bags and reach for the roll to unravel new ones. “I didn’t know park workers stayed out this late to clean the park.”

“It’s because we don’t want kids like you to get in the way. Plus, the government thinks it isn’t pretty for workers to clean during the day, so we have to do it when there isn’t anyone around.”

Conan tilted his head. “Oh, really? I didn’t know that.”

“Of course not, kid. You better get going or your guardian is going to be worried.”

“…Why did you assume I had a guardian instead of parents?”

Pause. “…Geh.”

“There are a lot of other problems with your disguise, like how you’re using compostable bags instead of heavy-duty bags, you aren’t collecting the plastics, and your hat is for the wrong ward.” Conan dropped the childish lilt for his usual adolescent tone. “Did you want me to know it was you, Kaito Kid? You didn’t have to disguise yourself, in that case.”

“And come fully dressed in my suit? No, thanks. It’s either a disguise or nothing at all.” Kid also dropped his mimicry for his familiar, arrogant yet formal speech. “I’ve got a lot of questions for you, detective.”

“Same. You haven’t planned a heist recently.”

“I needed some time off because _someone_ made me escape from a carriage filled with explosives.”

“Were you injured?”

“My pride was. After that, I needed time to think about everything that we talked about last time.” Kid waved his hand to gesture at their positions from several weeks prior. “Don’t change the subject. Who was the lady you made me disguise as?”

Conan didn’t look at him, focused on the jungle gym. It used to be a playing field, and he and the other boys in his elementary school once played soccer there until the government decided to add the new structure. By that time, he was on his middle school team and preferred proper fields than misshapen grass. “You have your own fight; I have mine. Trust me when I say that I won’t involve you further.”

“I’m not satisfied with that.” Kid sat down beside him. “I’ll just look into it myself-“

“Don’t!” His shout echoed around them. The phantom thief stared as Conan ducked his head, startled by his own outburst. So what he looked into it? There wouldn’t be any harm…would here? “No, it’s better if you just…didn’t. Those people are extremely dangerous. You should be safe since no one knew you were on the train and your objective has nothing to do with what they do.”

“That sounds like quite the burden. Is that why you’re always looking down when you think?”

He shook his head. “I’m not the only one involved – there are a lot of people helping me for different reasons. We all have a common interest.”

“Oh? And what’s your personal goal?”

_To return to my original body. To destroy them so they could never harm another person. To go back to being with the girl I love without putting her at risk._ “That’s none of your business, like it’s none of my business to know yours.”

“True.” Kid chuckled. “I’m jealous, though, detective. You have plenty of help on your side.”

Conan didn’t comment. Whereas he did have assistance from a variety of sources, only a handful were allowed into the chamber located at the depths of his heart, knew who he truly was, and how he ended up in this dangerous quest. They were the ones he wouldn’t put in harm’s way, no matter what.

“What conclusions did you come to after our talk last time?” Conan asked instead. He felt the thief turn in his direction but didn’t mention the topic change.

“I won’t stop – if I do, Inspector Nakamori will become depressed and my fans will miss me. I might lose if I take my time, but that just means I need to settle on more likely targets. I’ll get my revenge one day, no matter how long it takes.” Kid shucked his face mask and rubber gloves off to reveal thin cotton ones underneath. He folded his arms behind his head. “What about you, detective?”

He was silent. “ _I’m_ jealous. You have more leads than I do.” A misstep could end in not only his death but everyone else around him. All he could do was bide his time and hope for the barest of leads to guide him closer to the heart of the Organization, and even then, it was at the cost of his safety.

“It sounds like you’re against the stuff of nightmares.”

“I am.” Conan sighed. He stared at the ground. “What if…what do you think will happen if you…if you told everyone that you’re Kaito Kid? Would that make the impossible slightly more probable?”

“Nah, that’d just give me more headaches. You seem to have forgotten that I’m a criminal, detective – that’s not something anyone would encourage to continue. There’s also the chance that the bad guys will find out and shoot me down like they did with my- my predecessor.”

“I’m the same.” He couldn’t fathom explaining it to Ran, did not want to imagine her in his personal fight. The others would be confused, perhaps tease him for telling such a lie, but for those who would take him seriously… _headache_ described them best. “It makes you think if it’ll ever be over.”

Kid let out a quiet noise of contemplation under his breath. Conan froze when a hand clamped his head and pulled it upwards. “I don’t care too much about metaphors,” Kid said, “but the imagery helped me so it might help you. Look at the sky for a moment.”

A fragment of the expanse of space stretched overhead. The quarter moon was faint against the safety lights that flashed atop of skyscrapers, the stars as specks in the vacuum. It was not an impressive sight, especially compared to when he went camping or the countryside. “What about it?” Conan asked.

“The moon is you. The stars are all the leads that you find. The darkness in between is the distance from you to the lead. It takes lightyears to get to one, or you encounter a different lead along the way. As the moon becomes fuller, so does your confidence, your belief that the end is near – until you realize that it isn’t. All your confidence and hope falls, but when the new moon arrives, your resolution is renewed again.”

Kid reached upwards. “I check all my jewels under the moon because I have to and that’s how I found comfort in it. The moon is always there and lights where I have to go. If you think about it in terms of your quest, it’s similar, don’t you think?”

As tempted as he was to debunk the metaphor through science, Conan held his tongue. It certainly explained how he felt. “I can’t believe that I have more in common with a thief than anyone else I know.”

“I don’t like it either, but like you said – you have your business and I have mine.” Kid lowered his arm to hide his yawn behind his hand. “I’m going home, and you should too, detective. I plan to send an advanced notice soon, so look forward to my miracle.”

“You should look forward to how I’m going to thwart you instead.”

“Ha! I’ve spent a long time thinking of this trick. You won’t figure it out easily.” He stood and flashed a cocky smile beneath his hat. “Until next time, detective.”

Conan sensed him fade away, leaving behind his cart of sloppily tied garbage bags. His infinity was not lessened nor did he feel comforted. However, knowing that someone else shared his sentiments and understood his turmoil put him at ease. There were other quests that were being pursued. His may not be the only outlandish one.

He jumped down from the bench, slipped his hands in his pockets, glanced at the moon once more, and turned to walk back to the professor’s.

**Author's Note:**

> reading fanfic made me realize the darkness behind dc/mk and I wanted to write on that. sensei, please give them a happy ending
> 
> hope you enjoyed it!


End file.
